The Doghouse Gang started the new year with an exciting format change: an enduro using two-person teams, running against the clock. The format was running a 12-minute heat, change drivers during a three-minute break, then the second driver would take over for the second heat, then alternate drivers for the next heat, etc. The clock was running with a 2.5 hour deadline.
For this special event, we had ten drivers -- enough to make five two-person teams:
Standing: David Erickson, Bob Arneson, Dan Parker, Wayne Robinson, Richard Sylvester, Dr. Bob Feller
Seated: Eric Prevost
Kneeling: Dr. Marty Cwiakala, The Beas, Bob Manganello
It was great to have a couple of our former racers rejoin the gang for this event. Wayne is one of the original four racers who began this crazy hobby group years ago. ( More on that in a moment.) Also, Bob Manganello was a regular member of our group back when we raced at Slots of Fun, Don Berni's fantastic and habit-forming shop in Abbeville, S.C. It was great to have these guys join us for the day.
Originally, we had expected to have Allen Evans with us, but he suffered a health issue this past week and was unable to race. Wayne served in his place. Allen, heal quickly and get back to racing!
We chose to race JK Indy cars with sport bodies, because they are truly fast, handle well, and are very reliable -- a valuable trait for a slot car in an enduro.
Front row: The Beas, Richard, Eric, Dan
Back row: David
The racing was fast, tension was high, troubles were few (Bob A. and I broke a lead wire; that was the only reason for a red flag all day), and the laughs were many.
At the end of the allotted time, Bob Arneson and I survived the scare to claim the enduro victory. Richard and Dr. Bob took second, and David and Eric pulled in third. Congrats to all racers. What a great time.
L to R: Dr. Bob Feller, Richard Sylvester, The Beas, David Erickson, Dr. Marty Cwiakala (not pictured: Bob Arneson)
We'll have a chat soon to determine the race format for Feburary.
Now, back to the "original four" racers mentioned earlier. Wayne had a routed 50-foot, three-lane track in his FROG that got this whole thing started. Wayne, Dan, and Richard would gather and race pretty regularly. Then, Richard brought me in, since I'd suffered an HO fix when I was a kid. He thought I might enjoy running 1/24 and 1/32 with the group. The rest is history...ancient history. This is from that early period when we began racing together in 2003:
L to R: Dan P, Wayne R, Richard S, and Beas
We all had more hair and less weight back then.
What a great day of racing at The Doghouse, once again. We look forward to the February battle, whatever form it should take.
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